Improvement in manufacture of starch



' To all whom it may concern.-

- The different processes ;UNITED STATES CHARLES s. IRWIN,-

I .IMPROVEMENT or MADISON, INDIANA;

IN'IM'ANUFACTURE OF stance.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 27,130, dated February 14, 18C0.

useful, Improvement in the Manufacture of Starch from Indian Corn, and I do hereby de time the following to be a full and clearde scription thereof.

heretofore adopted for the manufacture of starch from Indian corn may be classified into two distinct methods. The cneof these methods has consisted in or required the employment of acids, alkalies, or other. chemical agents, and also that the grain be ground and fermented to effect the required separation of gluten from the starch and the proper production of the latter. \Viththis. method my improvement has no particular connection. Theother method dispenses with the use of acids, alkal'ies, or other chemical agents, and the separationof, the starch from the gluten is effected by steeping the corn in water heatedto a temperature of from-70 to 140 Fahrenheit, such water being changed several times during the steeping process or applied in continuous or intermittent streams,

and then grinding orlevigating the corn with 4 water heated tothe temperature as above."

This method was patented to V n.- Watt on the 30th June, 1857. I To such mode of manufacturing starch from corn my present improvement relates.

stceps than isconvenient. It also necessitates aprolongedacid fermentation, which injuriously. affects the quality of the starch, and

causes amostimperfect separationo f the starch from the gluten, thereby diminishi ng the yield of the starch, y

L By my presentimprovementsI obviate the above and other objections, and I am enabled at all seasons to produce in less time, with comparatively a smaller quantity of corn in the stceps atone time, the largest yield of starch from a given quantity of grain, and the best quality of starch heretofore produced from STUART steep] and-topermeate through it, h

corn free from any. acid or alkaline admixture,

which peculiarly adaptsit to; its well-known use, ,4 either as an article of food or for the L preparation of linen, both'in the manufacture of the latter article and in the. getting up? of ,i made linen articles after washing, by reason of the absence of all acid or] alkaline properties in the starch.

; To enable others to make starchjfroineorn' according to my improvements, I shall DOfW describe particularly the manner in which the same is or maybecarriedjnto effect,

I employ for 's'tee'psv iron-bound wooden tubs of, say, about eight feet in depth-and diameter, (which'is abontthenecessary size for steeping two. hundred bushels of corn at a time,) with "water-pipes communicating with: a tank or boiler in whichthe'wateris-heatedf 1 and-arranged to convey the heated water to or through both the tops 'andbottoms of the In these steeps' I place Indian corn or tubs.

maize, spreading it in a uniform layer. I then introduce both. below and abovet. e .,l atthe bottom and top -ofthe'corn, through thcpipes aboflve'named, water 'heatedto an'average temperature of 160 Fahrenheit, orcat any other temperature not less than 145 and I not more than 180. The quantity of water in thest-eeps should beconsiderable, so that a large body, of it-say about thirty inches I in depth-lie above the-corn. The corn 'thus'innnersed is permitted to remainin the steeps for about eight days, care being taken that the water should not fall much below the temperature here mentioned, To sustain an even temperature in the steeps, and to eflectthe removal of the water acidulated by the acid fermentation,

I change the'water from time'totime, which, K however, I have foundlneed notto be oitener than once in twenty-four-hours, or thereabout,

the waterpreserving itshigh temperatureby reason of thelarge quantity of it above? the corn, and also by reasonof the heat evolved by or during the fermentation of the corn.

.To change the water, it islet out through a spigot arranged at or near'the'bott om of the tub, and provided with a strainer on; the inside to prevent the escape of the 'corn,'za.ndl

after this is done and thespi'goticlosed fresh 'heated water-is introduced, as before, tenet,

both onthe top and bottom of the corni I Bythus proceeding the grainsfoi PATENT OF ICE.

swollen and suitably prparedina most smitesupernatant and can be easily. runofi, while ive and rapid manner forgrinding. To grind the corn; it is conveyed to the millstones, of which two, pairs are used, the one pair grinding coarse and discharging the crushed corn into the other pair of stones, whichare' dressed to grind-fine. As in the Watt process, I prefer to grind with a current of heated water; but I find water heated 'a-s high as 120- Fahrenheit, or

thereabou'hto be best. The ground eornis discharged, in the shapeof a watery pulp or mixture, onto sieves or strainers. I.--.employ,- .for the purpose of separating the bran and gluten which is; mixed up with the starch-glob- ,nles,iaseriesofsieves or strainers, arranged one above the other, with intermediate spaces and outlets, .andjeaeh succeeding sieve being of a in a-frame, to which a jerking motion is communlcated by ,an eccentric working about one hundred and eighty revolutions a-minute. A'

shower of eoldwater,.having a fall of about j three feet to give it the requisite force, isapplied to washthe starch from the corn through I the sieves; and a suitable outlet provided be low the sieves to catch and conduct the starchwater, while other outlets from'the spaces bea tween the several sieves serve to,carry-.ofl' the bran and some gluten and thefibrous- 'parts 01 'the starch-cells.

' Thestaroh water, which,byi the showerapplied onjthe top of thefirst -sieve; is'n a'de to trickle through the" several fine and yetfin'er sieves, and collectedby the outlet above'mentioned in a'trough, is, atth'is stage of the process, intimately mixed with and holds in suspension gluten and otheumat'tenforeign to thestareh, and that c'annot be easily'separated by mechanical 'means. The plan heretofore adopted is protracted deeantationyor allowing 1 the starch to settle by virtue of its diiference in specific gravity; but such method cannot be adopted without serious loss of starch, that remains embodiedwith the gluten, and 1s finally carried off with the water. Chemical agents have been employed. to effect more perfect or complete separation. 1 These agents "consist of. alkaline or; acid solutions,-

such as' soda, lime, potash, {or "mur'mticf aeid;' T but these, besides requiring an atter and subsequent treatment by-otherchemical agents-to neutralize their respectiveproper; ties, will-always'be retained in sufiieient exchemicals'on the other hand, is the object'of- ,the second part of .my improvement; I have eflectthe' product, as before mentioned.

1 cessrthe' one. or the other-to prej udieially' Tofobviate wastefin the product on the one 7 hand, and to prevent the injurious use of discovered that if the starch-water,- eharged with gluten and other matter foreigntojthe starch, be heated again to a temperature "of I about 60 Fahrenheit, or, say, ranging irom-l 55 to 70, andthen he allowed gentlyfiflowthat is, freefrom disturbing agitatitihfihal starch wiil, during" such gentle flow, entire, up 1y separate from the gluten, which remains mi'll'stones, "or

carried into as follows:v

1:11; the manufacture, of. starch from maize or in the shape of 'a pasty matter, and be packed in boxes for sale in the market; or, previous to being packed, it may be submitted to'a refiningfprocess by again diluting it inv water and allowing'the starch to separate from any impurities it may have gathered during the preceding operations. :The separationof the starch E and the gluten and thesettlement of the former are efi'ectedsubstantially in the following manner: r, v ,I use a system of 1'11DS deriving their supply'from atransverse orghad-trough or run,

I I p into which thestareh-water is conveyed from finer texture. The several sieves are secured feet long-, thewhole being inclined, but not exceeding .a thr'e and-one-half-inch ran for the entire length. On thisibottom arese-v cured, e'ighteeni-nehes apart, longitudinalpa'rtitions of about fi'v'e inches high each, and

which form the rims, These runs'are further provided at their-heads with transverse slats which constitute-dams, over which the water is made to'passj'for the pu'rposeof spreading the; water and checking its velocity or -e(g' .1al'- izing: the 'flow'downthe-runs; Gorrespqrnding with each of the runsthehead run is :p'rev ded with W0 ormorej'openings, through which-the I over the dams-.1

starchwater" is "allowed to pass i nto the. runs To g th m ssy-same h starch-water in the*1fiuns,-the head run may be heated by a currentofgwarm waterior; steam;

jacket, or'the temperature may b o adjusted'by regulating the temperature'oftho' watervto the the sieves. f

and the manner in which tlI-lQ-Bagfiejjfi grimy efl'ect'; I, shall state my claims orflndia'n corn, my improved method of treating-the corn,'preparatoryto its being crushed :and ground, "by steeping thes'ame. in' water heated to an average temperature of 160 Fahrenheit, or to any othertemperature'rang' 14,5? ap'dfl80ff. Fahrenheit, wat b s, s us l, s from t me-t0. time, so as to maintain the requisite temp era- 'ture'andto remove the water acidulated "by j previous ;ferm-ent ation of v the oorn,-"substan tiallyin the manner and forthe purposes set forthrn v 2'. Inthe manufacture of starch'from maize or Indian corn by'steeping the wholeand un crushed corn inwater heatedtoa temperature of from 70- to 180 Fahrenheit, and by then grinding it with water heated to a tempera- The runs proper may also be variously constructed. The'sim@ plest plan, however, is to give them "a com-' monbottom of from seventy to seventy-five.

of the. .supply aoi'scold water to s e mse time of from TO"0110 lanhrenheit, the method herein described of effecting the separation of ihe starch from. the gluten in a more perfect stentialiy in a manner and fertile purpeees set forth.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name mumier than this has been done heretofore by to this speeifieaitioi before two subscribing witmuiumiiiing (he tenl iemture of the starchmiter while in the runs at or heatingthe same previous 0; (hu'i'n the Separation of the starch from the gluten to an aver-u ge temperature of 60 Fahrenheit, 0!? to any other temperature ranging between 53 1e 70 lfiahrenheit, subnesses.

\Vashington, Deeemher10, 1859.

v CHAS. S. IRWTN. Witnesses:

A. P LLAI 'EDM. F. BROWN. 

